The children of Odin - Germanic Mythology

32 CHILDREN OF ODIN
Loki made himself very agreeable to the Dwarfs, praising their
work and promising them things that only the Dwellers in Asgard
could give, things that the Dwarfs longed to possess. He
talked to them till the little, ugly folk thought that thej would
come to own Asgard and all that was in it.
At last Loki said to them, "Have you got a bar of fine gold
that you can hammer into threads — into threads so fine that
they will be like the hair of Sif , Thor's wife ? Only the Dwarfs
could make a thing so wonderful. Ah, there is the bar of gold.
Hammer it into those fine threads, and the Gods themselves will
be jealous of your work."
Flattered by Loki's speeches, the Dwarfs who were in the forge
took up the bar of fine gold and flung it into the fire. Then
taking it out and putting it upon their anvil they worked on the
bar with their tiny hammers until they beat it into threads that
were as fine as the hairs of one's head. But that was not enough.
They had to be as fine as the hairs on Sif's head, and these were
finer than anything else. They worked on the threads, over and
over again, until they were as fine as the hairs on Sif's head. The
threads were as bright as sunlight, and when Loki took up the
mass of worked gold it flowed from his raised hand down on
the ground. It was so fine that it could be put into his palm,
and it was so light that a bird might not feel its weight.
Then Loki praised the Dwarfs more and more, and he made
more and more promises to them. He charmed them all, although
they were an unfriendly and a suspicious folk. And